Jesus continued to use parables to explain the kingdom of God by comparing
God's kingdom to yeast and to a mustard seed. He used these two parables to
illustrate how the kingdom of God will arrive. He used images of a wedding
feast and a great dinner to show who would be admitted and who would be excluded
from the kingdom. He used examples of a lost sheep and a lost coin to demonstrate
God's love for all people, even the outcasts of society.

8. The Parable of the Great Dinner (Matthew
22:1-14, Luke 14:15-24) was about Israel's rejection of Jesus
as Messiah. It was customary at the time to give two invitations to a dinner.
The first invited the guests to attend; a second announced that the feast was
ready. Apparently, all the guests had accepted the first invitation, but they
made lame excuses when it was time to come. The angry and frustrated host rounded
up anyone he could to attend rather than waste the feast that he had prepared.
The host would have supplied suitable clothes for the guests to wear at a wedding.
One man who showed his disrespect by refusing to wear the wedding clothes was
ejected (Matthew 22:11-14).

In this parable the host represents
God and the invited guests represent Israel. Israel had accepted God's offer
to be His chosen people. But when God sent His Son Jesus to fulfill His promises,
most of the people of Israel rejected Him. So, the salvation that had been
offered first to Israel was offered instead to sinners and Gentiles.

What
does this parable mean for us today?

9. Large crowds followed Jesus wherever He went. But Jesus warned them that being
a true disciple would mean many hardships.a) What was required to be
a disciple of Jesus? (See Matthew 10:37-39, Luke
14:25-33.)b) What are the "costs" of truly following Jesus today?

10. Self-respecting first century Jews did not associate with anyone they considered
a "sinner." But Jesus did, and many people considered His behavior scandalous.a) In the Parable of the Lost Sheep and the Parable of the Lost
Coin (Matthew 18:12-14, Luke
15:1-10), how is a sinner like a lost sheep and a lost coin?b) Why
did Jesus associate with sinners? (See Matthew
9:10-13.)c) What should our attitude be toward sinners? (See Matthew
7:1-5, John 8:7, Galatians
6:3-5.)